


StrangerVille

by KayyteeLynne



Category: The Sims (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Strangerville, TS4, The Sims 4
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:46:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22695007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayyteeLynne/pseuds/KayyteeLynne
Summary: Jayson was NOT a conspiracy theorist. He moved to the remote, desert town of StrangerVille because it seemed as quiet and unremarkable as he was. It didn’t take long, however, before he got wind of the rumors about the recently abandoned lab to the north of the town, just on the outskirts of the desert. And though he chalked it all up to bored nonsense, he quickly came to realize there was much more about StrangerVille than he thought.
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

“It looks like something straight out of a horror movie,” she said. “It’s really creepy and cliche.”

The neon sign above the bar flickered and hummed. Initials of the unremarkable sims of the past were sketched alongside freshly carved obscenities and crude drawings, on bathroom walls and tabletops. Outside, the full moon shone brightly, overpowering the tiny stars that would have dotted the night sky. Quiet, dusty streets were bathed in a blue glow. A stray tumbleweed bounced carelessly along to an undetermined destination. 

His mother was right about the desert town; StrangerVille was a cliched town pulled right out of a stereotypical horror movie. It was small. It was quiet. It was unsuspecting and unremarkable, just as he was. Perhaps that’s why he was drawn to it and why he moved there.

What did he have going for him? He was just as plain and unsuspecting as the town. He had no skills, no outstanding awards. In school, he was a straight C student and never bothered to waste his time, money, and energy on college. Though he wasn’t unattractive, women weren’t exactly throwing themselves at him. His hair and eyes were brown and ordinary. He was fairly fit, but not particularly active or muscular. If he kept up his evenings visiting the local bar, he would surely develop a beer gut. But he was single and not particularly interested in a relationship, either. Though, sex would have been nice. It had been some time since he had had sex.

He sighed to himself. He propped an elbow against the bar top and rested his chin in the palm of his hand as he stared into his beer bottle. He was at a crossroads in his life, that much was clear. He didn’t seem to particularly fit in anywhere. He had no dreams, no aspirations. He didn’t even have a job yet in town, and it didn’t seem likely the town would be able to offer him much, anyway. What was he thinking, moving here?

“Go to college,” his father had urged him. “At least for a year. Dabble in some courses. Find something you like.”

It was good advice. He should have taken it. He should have given himself a chance. He should have tried a little harder to do something with his life, or make something of himself. But he didn’t. And now, he was alone at a bar in a dusty, nobody town where he was surely doomed to die alone, unremarkable, and leaving not a single mark on the world.

It wasn’t that he wanted to be something more. He didn’t care to be a famous celebrity. He didn’t care to be a leader of a new world. He didn’t want to make a difference in the community. He didn’t care about discovering new resources, or inventing a new product, or in any way changing the world for the better, or even for the worse. He wanted none of that. But even the most ordinary, unremarkable of people seemed to find their niche in life. They had something to do, something to be proud of, something that made them who they were. And he couldn’t help the wave of depression that washed over him, realizing that he didn’t even have that. He had no purpose, no reason to get out of bed in the morning. He quite literally had nothing.

He quickly finished off his beer. He hadn’t woken up that morning expecting to feel so down. Though, he didn’t wake up feeling much of anything, really. But now that the mundane routine of his day was over with - the cooking, the cleaning, the personal hygiene, the paying of bills, the looking for jobs - he was left with nothing more than his thoughts. And that sent a chill up his spine.

He looked up as the bartender wordlessly took his empty bottle, raising a brow in a silent question that Jayson understood. He nodded, and the bartender quickly brought him another drink. He took it with a nod of thanks, then turned on his barstool to people watch.

The bar was lively, proving to be a popular place among the locals. He took a moment to scan them, his eyes pausing on each group. There was a clustering of military personnel of some sort at one large table. Some sat while others stood along the wall, chatting and laughing, though there seemed to be an unnatural, uneasy tenseness to their otherwise cheerful behavior. Jayson, however, paid them no mind as he continued to inspect the one room bar.

He recognized a few of the townies, many of whom resided in the trailer park near his own home. Along with the townies were the usual conspiracy theorists. He could usually spot them from a mile away. He didn’t know much about StrangerVille, but he did know that it was ripe with rumors thanks to the abandoned secret lab to the north of the town, and that attracted conspiracy theorists from all over the world.

He turned his attention to the woman that took the seat at the bar beside him and offered her a smile as he turned back to his beer. To his surprise, however, she seemed to take his action of simply returning to his beer as an invitation to converse.

“Jeez, this place is straight out of a horror movie,” she said.

Jayson glanced at her, hesitant. “That’s what my mom used to say.” It was all he planned to contribute to the conversation, but she was insistent on continuing.

“My weird little sister dragged me out here,” she said as she took her drink from the bartender. “She thinks she can break into that abandoned lab in town.”

“She wouldn’t be the first to try,” Jayson said politely, though he was still disinterested in conversing. No, he would much rather wallow in his own self-pity tonight. But it seemed that he would not find such peace and quiet.

“That’s what I told her,” the woman continued. “I’m sure that place is guarded, locked, and boarded up.” She shook her head and paused to drink. “Teenagers, right?” She sighed and sat back to lean against the bar. She watched as her sister excitedly conversed with the men and women Jayson recognized to be fellow conspiracy theorists. “They all think they’re invincible. That they can change the world.”

“I guess so.”

“Anyway,” she said, spinning back around. She offered him a smile. “You live here?”

Jayson nodded.

“You guys must get sick of all these tourists, then, huh?”

He shrugged. “I don’t think I’m allowed to be, really,” he said. “I only just moved here myself.”

“Ah.” She drank. “What made you want to move here?”

“I don’t know,” he said, perking up slightly. He paused thoughtfully, drinking from his beer. “It seemed ordinary and plain like me.”

“Maybe,” she started. “You know, unless there really is some deep, dark secret here.”

“Maybe,” Jayson admitted. “But I didn’t exactly know about that when I moved.”

She nodded. “You must have moved from under a rock.”

Jayson glanced at her. She was grinning at him, her smile contagious. He couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips. It was the first time he really got a good look at her, and even in the dim, bar lighting, he could tell she was beautiful. Her skin was darker than the teenage sister that was bouncing around the bar, digging for information from the locals.

“So, where was that rock located?” she asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

He pulled his gaze away. “Willow Creek.”

She nodded. “We’re from Windenburg.” She extended her hand. “I’m Siobhan, by the way.”

Jayson glanced at her, then took her hand in a single shake. “Jayson.”

Morgan made her way to the bar, squeezing herself between her sister and Jayson. She leaned against it and waved the bartender down.

“Whisky! Neat!”

The bartender raised a brow at her. “What are you, twelve?”

He turned his back on her, but Morgan shouted to him. “Try sixteen!” She sighed, then leaned against the counter and proceeded to look Jayson up and down. Her mouth opened in a grin, and she turned to Siobhan.

“So, you picked up a conspiracy theorist, huh?”

“I’m not a conspiracy theorist,” Jayson said quickly. He glanced at Siobhan, then added, “And no one’s picking anyone up.”

Morgan snorted and turned her attention back to him. “Why not? You’re attractive. My sister’s attractive. Get that booty.”

Jayson raised a brow and smirked. “I’m attractive?”

“You’re a child,” Siobhan said. “Don’t you have some StrangerVille groupies to annoy?”

“Quiet,” Morgan said, waving her sister off. Then, to Jayson, she said, “Look at her. She’s hot, right?”

“I do not objectify -”

“Yeah, yeah. Simmer down there. We get it. The question remains: hot or not?”

“Why do you have to be so weird?” Siobhan said, pushing Morgan away from them.

“Why haven’t you given him your number yet?”

“I’m not into conspiracy theorists like you are.”

“Not a conspiracy theorist,” Jayson said again, louder this time to talk over the bickering sisters. “Just trying to have a drink.”

Morgan rolled her eyes. “Right, sorry. Depressive alcoholic. That’s much better.”

“I’m not -” But Jayson paused, then sighed.

“Look, you made him sad,” Morgan said to her sister. She gestured obviously to Jayson.

“You know,” Siobhan started, “If I was trying to pick him up, you’re ruining that for me.”

“You’re trying to pick me up?”

Siobhan waved him off. “Please.”

“I thought I was attractive.”

“So, just because we’re attractive, we gotta fuck?”

“Ooh,” Morgan teased. “Siobhan thinks you’re hot.”

“I know,” Jayson said. “She’s been trying to take my pants off all night.”

“Thirsty!”

“Okay,” Siobhan said, pushing her sister away once more. “I’m done playing your annoying teenager games. Go discover some more mysteries, Scooby-doo.”

“That’s highly offensive to the Scooby-doo community,” Morgan said. “However, I will let it slide, because I’m pretty sure I definitely saw the Mystery Machine outside.”

“Just don’t get into strange vans,” Siobhan called after Morgan as her sister skipped out of the bar. “And call me!”

“Wow.” Jayson muttered.

“The term we use is quirky,” she said with an apologetic grin. “I’m sorry. I usually just go with whatever crazy train she’s on.”

“That’s a lot of crazy,” Jayson said. “Look. I know we said we were in it for the long run, but I don’t know if I can handle that kinda crazy.”

Siobhan smiled and sighed playfully. “And I told my parents that you were the one.”

“I have that effect on people.”

Siobhan finished her drink and stood. “I should make sure she doesn’t get her ass thrown in jail or something. My apologies for interrupting your night.”

“Ah,” Jayson started. “It wasn’t so intrusive.”

Siobhan smiled. “Well. Maybe I’ll see you around. We’re here for a couple days, anyway.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“If we stumble across anything interesting, I’ll let you know. I’m sure you’ll want to update all your conspiracy theorist friends.”

“Not a conspiracy theorist,” he said one last time.

Siobhan’s smile grew and her eyes closed. She waved at him before slipping outside to find her sister.


	2. Chapter 2

Jayson didn’t see Siobhan or Morgan the rest of the night. He stepped out of the bar into the cool, dry air, the streets quiet and desolate with the exception of a handful of bar patrons having a smoke. He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned away from the bar, walking the few blocks to his home beside the trailer park.

It wasn’t unusual for the residents of the park to be out late, gathered around a fire drinking and laughing, and they often waved to Jayson when he walked by, now familiar with his presence. On this night, however, the trailer park was quiet, though not empty. In the light of the moon, he could see a figure standing alone, a dark shadow erect in the center of the park, unmoving.

Jayson slowed, studying the figure for a moment. An inexplicable chill ran up his spine and his heart quickened nervously, though he hesitated. His gaze narrowed, trying to figure out who the figure was, and why they were standing so still. After a moment of staring, the figure’s head turned to Jayson, and he took an uneasy step back as their eyes met. The figure’s head cocked to the side, then the rest of the body turned to face him. An arm lifted, but not in warm greeting. It moved to a ninety degree angle to the ground and hung for a moment, swaying lightly.

The figure took a stiff step forward and twitched, then took another step forward, legs never bending.

“What in the fuck…”

A smile split the man’s face as it stepped out of the shadows, still moving stiffly toward Jayson. But Jayson had had quite enough of the odd interaction, and he quickly turned and sprinted the rest of the way to his house. His fingers fumbled to unlock the door, and once inside, he slammed it and locked it tightly behind him.

He leaned against the door, his heart racing, and he waited for his breathing to slow. Then, his cheeks warmed as a realization came to him. Those bastards were fucking with him! Hazing the new guy - of course! His shoulders slumped and he muttered to himself. He would get them back; he would get them back good.

*****

Milk dropped from his spoon, splattering onto the newspaper spread open on the table. Like every morning, Jayson was having a bowl of cereal, perusing the job listings. On this morning, however, his mind was not focused on the wanted ads, but instead deep in thought, scheming a way to get back at the residents of the trailer park next door. It was all in good fun, of course, but whatever he came up with had to be better than the prank they pulled on him.

He was at a disadvantage, though. There were several of them that could come together, pretending to be zombies, chasing him down the street. He was just one man, which meant he would need something really good to top that. Of course, he couldn’t take their zombie idea. But every idea he came up with would have been impossible without the help of some insane magical abilities or an experimental potion gone wrong. Giant spiders to flood the park, twitching vines that wrapped around their legs, quick sand that would swallow them whole.

His imagination was running wild, and with a sigh, he leaned back in his chair to think more realistically. His financial situation was not one that would allow him elaborate pranks, and it seemed there was nothing more he could do than coat their trailers in glitter and cause only a minor annoyance. Still, he was determined to get back at them in some way, so he folded up the news paper, placed his empty bowl in the sink, and stepped out into the warm sun to make the walk towards the corner store in hopes of getting some ideas as he perused the aisles. 

He was just turning the corner to the store when two familiar young women stepped out, the door ringing as it closed behind him, and he came face to face with the grinning teenager Morgan.

“Look! It’s conspiracy theorist Jayson!”

“Let’s not make that a thing,” Jayson muttered. “Solve the mysteries of the world, yet?”

“Dude!” Morgan exclaimed. “I would have if  _ someone _ ,” she paused to sneer at her sister, “didn’t fuck up all my plans!”

“She covered herself in twigs and leaves and tried to pretend to be a bush.”

“It’s called being incognito!”

“It’s called getting your ass thrown in jail!”

“Anyway,” Morgan started, disregarding her sister’s concerns. “So, did you get those digits, lover boy?”

“Lover boy?” But before he could come back with anything more, Morgan was reaching toward him in an attempt to shove her hands in his pockets to find his phone. Jayson jumped back and batted her hands away. “Woah! Personal space, man!”

“Gimme your phone!”

“No!”

“I would like to remind you that I have no control over the weird things she does,” Siobhan said in an exasperated tone. “Please accept my sincerest apologies since my sister does not know how to act normal.”

“You guys are the weird ones! Fucking give him your number already!”

“You realize we live like, three hours away, right?”

“Two!” She continued to chase Jayson in circles. “Phone!”

“Oh for the love of -” Jayson started. He stretched an arm out, promptly stopping Morgan in her tracks, his palm against her head. She whined and flailed her arms, but he was just out of her reach. He grinned down at her. “Nice try, kid. I don’t need a matchmaker.”

Morgan huffed in exasperation and dropped her arms. “Well, that’s just rude and insulting. My sister is a catch! How dare you think you’re too good for her!”

“Oh, contraire,” Jayson started. “In fact, she is far too good for the likes of me.”

“Aw,” Morgan said, immediately melting. “That’s so fucking sweet it’s disgusting.”

“Don’t you have a lab to break into?”

Morgan straightened excitedly. “Oh, right! I’m meeting a guy who said he’s got some keycard I can use to get in!”

“That doesn’t sound sketchy at all,” Jayson said.

“Totally sketchy,” Morgan confirmed. “We’ll need a strong, brave guy to protect us.”

Jayson put his hands on his hips and looked around. “Too bad there isn’t someone like that around.”

“Come on, loser,” Morgan said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him down the street.

“I did not sign up for this crazy train,” Jayson said over his shoulder to Siobhan.

“Like I said,” Siobhan said, following behind. “I have no control over her.”

“You’d be far better off finding someone else to protect you,” Jayson warned.

“Eh,” Morgan said with a shrug. “I got a good feeling about you.”

“A terrible decision, really.” He allowed Morgan to pull him down the street, and she babbled on about the guy she met when she was snooping around the lab. They walked for several blocks, turning this way and that until they reached the outer edges of the small town and walked along the dusty, deserted highway; the only road leading out of the nobody town. 

In the distance, a figure stood beside the highway, a hood pulled over his head and his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, and Jayson stiffened uneasily. This was it; this was where he would die. His body would be disposed of in the middle of the desert, and no one would ever know what happened to him.

And all because he let a dumb teenage girl and her beautiful sister drag him out into the desert. A trap - it was a damned trap.

But Sibohan bumped into him, suddenly close at his side, keeping just behind him and practically stepping on his heels.

“I knew it,” she muttered, gripping his upper arm. “I knew my sister would be the death of me, I fucking knew it.”

Jayson stopped walking all together, but Morgan only skipped forward to meet the mysterious man. Jayson reached forward and shouted at her, but she turned to him with her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.

“Stop being such a baby,” she groaned. “It’s just Erwin!”

The hooded man stepped forward to meet Morgan, and he sneered at her.

“Wait a minute,” he said. “You brought a bodyguard?”

“Can’t be too careful, Erwin, right?”

Erwin pulled his hood back, revealing small eyes pulled at the corners angrily behind thick glasses. Freckles dotted his pale skin, and it seemed to Jayson the hoodie was more to protect him from the harmful rays of the sun than anything else. Jayson relaxed slightly, recognizing the young man to be one of the conspiracy theorists in town, and as soon as he relaxed, Siobhan did, too, her grip loosening until she let go of his arm completely.

“Look,” Erwin started. “I’m the first one to admit you should have some reasonable defense. This world is a fucked up place. Hell, I want a bodyguard.” He paused and turned to Jayson. “Are you services available to anyone?”

“Just cute girls and their annoying sisters.”

Erwin considered this for a moment, then turned back to Morgan. “Anyway. This information is top secret. Strictly classified. I can’t have it being passed around to just anyone.”

“Come on, Ers, Buddy. They’re with me! Who are they gonna tell?”

Erwin eyed Jayson carefully. “He’s a military guy.”

Jayson snorted. “Erwin, is it? They picked me up in a bar.”

“That’s where they all hang out!”

“No, no,” Morgan started. “He’s just a depressive alcoholic.”

“Well, wait, I’m not an alcoholic.”

“Just drowning his problems.”

“You and me both,” Erwin said. “I’d hang out there, too, but some of those guys don’t really like me much.”

“Right,” Morgan said. “Like you’re cool enough to hang at a bar.”

“I could be! You don’t know me!”

“I want that keycard!”

“Well, I don’t have it, so go away.”

“You lied?”

“No,” Erwin said, leaning over her. “I said I  _ had  _ it. You assumed -”

“You said you had it!”

“Had! Past tense!”

“Where’s the keycard, Erwin?! Don’t make me sic my bodyguard on you!”

Erwin glanced at Jayson and took a hesitant step back. He put his hands out before him defensively. “Alright, alright. Listen. I don’t have it. Because it was stolen.”

“By who?”

His arms dropped and he rolled his eyes. “Don’t you think if I knew that I’d get it back?”

Morgan grinned. “Yeah? How would you do that?”

Erwin hesitated. “Uh, you know, track ‘em down and… ask for it back?”

Morgan scoffed and turned away from him. “You’re wasting my time, Ers!”

“Alright,” Erwin barked. “I nabbed it from one of those scientists a couple weeks back,” he explained. “He was passed out at the bar, still in his fancy white lab coat, and I fished around in his pockets and found it. But those military guys saw me and tackled me and threw me out. So I ran home, but they must have been following me, and they must have broken in when I was sleeping, because in the morning, it wasn’t on the counter where I left it.”

Morgan groaned loudly and threw her arms in the air, exasperated with him.

Erwin waved his hands at her quickly. “No, no, no, wait,” he said. “Look. I’ve been sneaking around town, listening in to their conversations. I can help you get one of those keycards back. I know some of those military guys have ‘em, and those scientists, too. I know a few names, and I know where they are. If they’re not hanging out at the bar, they can also be found hanging around that old library.” He fished in his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, handing it to Morgan. “This is all the information I have, alright? All the keycards will give you access into the lab. I think the ones with the black dots are better, though. Probably can get you into other places that the regular cards can’t. So get one with a black dot.”

“Are we done here?” Siobhan muttered.

Morgan waved the piece of paper at Erwin. “I guess you’re good for something,” she said. “I’ll let you know what I find.”

Erwin nodded and pulled his hood back over his head. “May The Watcher guide you,” he said in an even tone.

Morgan rolled her eyes and turned away from him, walking back down the highway and into town.

Jayson glanced one last time at Erwin, then quickly caught up to Siobhan, following behind Morgan as she babbled on excitedly.

“You’re not stealing a keycard from anyone,” Siobhan hissed to her sister. “And we’re only here for another day, so stop fucking around with your conspiracy theories, alright?”

“They’re not conspiracy theories,” Morgan snapped at her sister. “You make fun of people like Erwin, but they’ve seen what’s really been going on here. They’re not making this stuff up.”

“There’s nothing going on here,” Siobhan said. “Everything is completely normal.”

“Erwin said that some of the people have been acting funny,” Morgan explained. “Like, they’ve been all spacey and twitchy and when you try to talk to them, it’s like they’re speaking another language or something.”

“Spacey and twitchy?” Jayson echoed curiously.

Morgan shrugged. “And he said there have been a lot of weird, black vans and these serious looking agents with sunglasses. He swears he saw them take one of the people acting weirdly and he doesn’t know what happened to them.”

Siobhan rolled her eyes. “If there was something going on, don’t you think the cops would be involved?”

“They all know about it,” Morgan said, growing excited. “And they’re all keeping it quiet!”

When Morgan stopped walking, they were in front of the old library.

“I’m gonna see what if I can dig up any information,” Morgan said. “And maybe steal a keycard.” But before her sister could argue, she was running up the old steps and disappeared inside. 

Siobhan turned helplessly to Jayson, then offered him a smile. “Well, thanks for going with us,” she said. “I thought for sure we were going to be murdered.”

Jayson forced a laugh, though he was still turning over what Morgan said.

“So, I was thinking,” Jayson started. “You really got your hands full with that sister of yours. You might still need a bodyguard or something.”

Siobhan grinned and nodded. “Yeah, probably.”

“Well, if you do, you could always just give me a call or something.”

“Do you have a business card? Or a company number I can call?”

“You know, I can just give you my direct cell number. That way you don’t have to deal with reception or something.”

Siobhan laughed. “That’s really sweet. Morgan would appreciate that.” She took her phone out of her pocket and they exchanged phones, each entering their number in the other’s.

“I put it under bodyguard,” Jayson said as he handed her phone back.

“I put mine under damsel in distress.” She winked at him and waved a hand as she turned to head into the library. “See ya later, Conspiracy Theorist Jayson.”


	3. Chapter 3

It was early in the afternoon and Jayson found himself at the bar once more. He drank slowly and quietly as he continued to mull over the strange occurrence at the trailer park the previous night. There had to be some relation to the seemingly possessed sims that Morgan described. He clearly wasn’t the first to notice it, and despite the fact that Erwin and the other conspiracy theorists had noticed it, no one seemed to speak of it. There were no reports on the news, no extra cops on duty patrolling the streets. Absolutely nothing. Silence.

A handful of uniformed men entered the bar, sitting themselves at a table in the corner. They took no notice of Jayson, but spoke quietly amongst themselves. Jayson strained to listen over the sound of the tv mounted above him, playing some sports game that he took no interest in. He continued to drink casually in an attempt to act inconspicuous as he listened in to their conversation as best as he could.

“...another last night.”

“Any success?”

“Don’t think so. They seem to come out of it randomly. Can’t be sure how long it lasts right now.”

“What do you make of it?”

“Dunno. Roswell’s keepin’ things quiet, that’s for sure. Not our job to pry.”

Jayson’s brows furrowed. Was Mayor Roswell involved in whatever was going on? He shook his head as if to dismiss the thought. No, he wasn’t getting caught up in the ridiculous conspiracy theories. He pushed his empty beer away and placed his payment on the counter. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow on the desert town, and the regulars were starting to come in after their shifts. Jayson used that as his excuse to slip quietly out of the bar unnoticed. 

It was hot outside, the heat amplified by the sun bouncing off the desert sands around them, but Jayson took no notice as he made his familiar walk back home. He stared mostly at his feet, deep in thought until voices brought him back to reality. He was just about to turn the corner to his street, but instinct made him pause, and he stepped into the shadow, pressing himself against the building as he peered around the corner.

The trailer park was a short distance away, and a black van was parked at the entrance. Two serious looking men in suits and sunglasses stood outside, and Jayson recognized one of the townies in their clutches. They each grabbed an arm, but the townie seemed unfazed by them, an eerie grin on his face as he twitched, his head cocked to the side. His eyes moved in Jayson’s direction before the mysterious agents dragged him into the van. The van immediately pulled away from the curb and disappeared around the corner.

Jayson was frozen in place, still staring at the trailer park, his mouth gaping. It was just as Erwin and Morgan had said; he had witnessed it himself. Whatever was going on, someone was working diligently to keep things quiet. He couldn’t help but to wonder what would have happened if he had stepped around the corner. Would they have still taken the sim away? Would they have tried to take him, too? Would they have thrown him in jail or even killed him to keep him from telling anyone what he saw?

He shivered at these thoughts. He waited for his pulse to slow, then stepped back out onto the road and around the corner. He slowed as he passed the trailer park, glancing around quickly for some sign of life, but no one seemed to be around. What he did notice, however, was an unfamiliar plant of sorts in the middle of the park, roughly where he had seen the sim the night before. He didn’t recognize it as one of the usual desert plants. It was shaped like a bulbed plant of sorts whose flowers had yet to open. It was mostly purple in color with the exception of bright pink roots that went into the ground, and it had a strange kind of glow to it.

He didn’t dare go near the plant and hurried back into the safety of his home, locking the door behind him. He leaned against the door, his mind racing as he tried to put the pieces together. A voice in the back of his mind told him not to get involved - what could he possibly do about it, anyway? It was clear that the townies had been trying to report it, but it fell on deaf ears. Anyway, perhaps it was better than he didn’t make it known that he knew. Maybe if he continued to play stupid and act oblivious to all that was going on, he would be able to gather more information. Maybe there was something he could do about it himself.

It seemed ridiculous to think it, but suddenly, he felt like he had a purpose in his life. He would solve the mystery of StrangerVille once and for all.

*****

Jayson was at the library early the next morning, and to no surprise, Morgan was there as well. She jumped out of her chair when she saw him, knocking it over onto the floor. She quickly picked it up and hurried over to Jayson as he perused curiously through some of the books.

“Whatcha doin’?” Morgan asked with a giddy grin, her hands clasped behind her back.

“Research,” Jayson said simply.

“Looking for some information on this crazy ass town?” She batted her eyelashes at him.

“Where’s your babysitter?”

“Oh, your lover?” Morgan shrugged. “I dunno, back at the hotel, probably.” She turned on her heels and walked back to her table. “Are these the books you’re looking for?”

Jayson followed her to the table, studying the books curiously. “Maybe,” he said, taking the seat next to her.

“I thought you weren’t a conspiracy theorist?” she teased.

“Just figured I’d read up on this dumb town I live in,” he said, sliding on of the books across the table and in front of him. The title read “A History of StrangerVille.” Jayson scanned the page it was opened to, reading to himself.

“Stories passed down by the indigenous people who lived in the region long ago speak of a blinding purple light in the sky, followed by a massive explosion. It is believed that this is the source of the StrangerVille Crater.”

“That secret lab is located in the crater,” Morgan said. “Erwin said there was an explosion there about a month ago. They all call it ‘The Incident’. There was no report about it, no explanation, but ever since the explosion, the lab has been abandoned. The military still has guards all around it, though. Erwin says their presence in town has increased since then, and I’ve seen those black vans around a few times since we’ve been here. No one seems to know what they’re up to, though. But, I did find this!” She handed him a flyer.

_ Clogged drains? Call Undercover Plumbers for a free inspection. We’re available for all hours, even when you’re not at home! Our state-of-the-art vans are equipped with the latest satellite-uplink plumbing technology.  _

Jayson had seen these flyers around town before, but never paid any mind to them. On the flyer was a picture of the same black van he had seen outside of the trailer park. A coverup? But for what?

“Oh, no,” Sibohan’s voice moaned. “Not you, too.”

Jayson looked up and offered her a smile. “No, not me,” he said.

Siobhan crossed her arms. “I just knew I’d find you here,” she said to her sister. “Come on, I already checked out. We’re going home.”

Morgan frowned, then turned to Jayson. “Promise me you’ll keep looking into this?” she begged.

Jayson closed the book. “Call me if you need a bodyguard,” he said, then winked at Siobhan.

“Call my sister if you wanna get laid,” Morgan said, standing up. She extended an arm. “Welcome to the dark side, Conspiracy Theorist Jayson.”

*****

Jayson spent the rest of the morning at the library, researching as much as he could about the history of StrangerVille. It was easy to see where all the rumors and conspiracies stemmed from. The crater, being formed thousands of years ago, was the perfect breeding ground for rumors of alien lifeforms. Did aliens live in town, walking amongst them without their knowledge? Could that explain why some of the sims seemed to be possessed? That would explain why they were being mysteriously taken away - the government was probably trying to use them to get information. How ironic - sims probing aliens. Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around?

It still didn’t explain the strange plants that popped up after the recent explosion at the lab. And what was even stranger was the fact that Jayson couldn’t find any reports of it in any of the recent newspapers. In fact, it seemed the library had been completely cleaned out of all their copies of recent papers. And what stray papers he did find had articles clipped out of them. Someone was working hard to keep everything a mystery. And all Jayson could guess was that maybe they were taking sims to the lab for testing. The strange plants could have some connection to the explosion, but Jayson couldn’t be sure what that connection was.

Or, it was likely the plants that were causing sims to act so strangely. There was the plant in the middle of the trailer park where he first encountered his neighbor acting strangely. 

But Jayson was only making assumptions. He needed more solid facts to prove what was really going on. And it seemed the only way to get that information was to break into the secret lab. That, or maybe he’d have some luck getting one of those scientists drunk enough to spill. He couldn’t be sure which was a more reasonable solution.

But there was someone who was familiar with the things going on in town. Someone who had tried to take on the military himself. A little, geeky conspiracy theorist who needed a bodyguard.


	4. Chapter 4

It wasn’t hard to find Erwin. In one of her babbling moments, Morgan had explained to Jayson how she met Erwin at a little, run down shed where all the conspiracy theorists seemed to hang out, like a club of some sort. Siobhan had murmured something about it being more like a cult, so Jayson shouldn’t have been surprised when he saw a few of them gathered together with strainers on their heads. He had to choke back a laugh, turning it into a cough and cleared his throat as Erwin met his gaze.

“Oh, it’s the bodyguard.” He turned away from Jayson. “Here to mock me like everyone else?”

“No,” Jayson started. He frowned, feeling bad for the guy. “No, actually, I wanted to ask you something.”

Erwin glanced at him over his shoulder, then looked him up and down, determining whether Jayson was being genuine or not. “What?”

“Only an idiot wouldn’t see all the weird vans and shit around town,” he said. “What do you make of it?”

Erwin’s gaze narrowed. “Why do you ask?”

Jayson hesitated. “Because I saw one at the trailer park by my house,” he said.

“When?”

“Last night.”

“What happened?” Erwin pressed.

“They took someone and drove off.” He shrugged. “Didn’t look like they were going out for fucking tea.”

“Just random sims?”

Jayson’s gaze narrowed. “What do you know?”

Erwin walked down the street and Jayson turned to follow him.. “What did you see?”

Jayson hesitated. “I don’t know,” he said softly. “The other day… he was acting… weird.”

Erwin nodded, as if he understood.

“What’s wrong with him?” Jayson asked. “Where are they taking him?”

“I don’t know,” Erwin admitted. “No one knows. Well, not us townies, anyway. I’m sure some of those scientists that worked in the lab know.” He shrugged.

“You think it has to do with why the lab was shut down?” Jayson asked.

Erwin nodded. “If you want any information, you’d have to get it from them. Or one of the military personnel.”

“I don’t exactly want to get involved in anything,” Jayson said warily.

“Then don’t,” Erwin replied in a disinterested tone.

“Don’t you think someone should? Like, maybe the police?”

Erwin snorted. “You think we haven’t tried that?” he said. He rolled his eyes. “They blew us off. This whole thing reeks of some kinda cover up. Something’s going on, and they don’t want us to know.”

“What would they have to gain from that?”

Erwin shrugged. “World domination? It could literally be anything. And those answers are kept inside that lab.”

“So, why don’t you do something about it?”

He barked out a short laugh. “Right. Look at me. Look at us.” He sighed. “What are we gonna be able to do about it? We’re just… weird people with weird ideas and no one takes us seriously. We have no other skills that could get us anywhere.” He glanced at Jayson. “We’re not all the bodyguard type like you.”

“You say that as if I have some skill you don’t.”

“Look,” Erwin started. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but if I were female, I’d do you.”

“Uh, thanks?”

“You’re tall, dark, handsome.” He poked Jayson’s biceps. “Muscular. But not overkill, you know? Enough where you could definitely kick someone’s ass, but not too much where you look like a dick. You probably don’t really work out, except that drinking arm, lifting beers and kegs and whatever you attractive guys do. You’re charismatic. Way more than I am, anyway. Can talk to the ladies no problem. Hell, I bet you could make friends like it was nothing. Charm. You got charm. You could get what you want, when you want, for nothing more than that pearly white grin.”

“Do you want my number or something?”

Erwin rolled his eyes and turned away. “I got sidetracked,” he said quickly. “I’m just saying. We’re losers. You’re not.”

“What… No… But… what does that have to do with anything?”

Erwin shrugged. “If you wanted to do something about what’s going on here, you’d have way more success than we would.”

“Because you think I’m hot?”

“I don’t think you're hot!” Erwin stammered. “I have a girlfriend, you know!”

Jayson sighed. “Alright. Look. You think way too highly of me. I’m basically a nobody, too.”

“Thanks,” Erwin muttered.

“No, I mean.” Jayson hesitated. “Look. You have way more going for you. At least you have something you believe in, you know? All I’m saying is that I don’t think I’d have any more luck. You don’t know me.”

Erwin shrugged. “I don’t care what you do. But don’t bother me with your stupid questions if you don’t care.”

Jayson bit his lip. “I kinda care.”

“I know.”

Jayson regarded him with an unamused glance. “You’re a pain in the ass. I mean, how do you see something like that and not care? What the fuck is wrong with those people?”

Erwin met his gaze, but his eyes were fearful. “And how long is it going to take until it happens to us?”

Jayson hesitated. “I don’t know how much help I can be,” he started. “But I’ll see what kind of info I can dig up. I’ll try to get that keycard back. After that, it’s up to you.”

Erwin turned away from him. “Careful,” he said. “Or you’ll get hooked like the rest of us.”

“I’m not a conspiracy theorist!”

*****

Sleep didn’t come to Jayson that night, his mind buzzing erratically with all he had witnessed and learned the last two days. Something was definitely going on, that much he was sure of. He didn’t think it would be easy to get any information from any of the military personnel or the scientists in town, and most of the information he had gathered from the residents were more or less the same stories sprinkled with wild exaggerations. The newspapers were useless, and he found even less information online with the exception of conspiracy theory blogs. And from what he could gather, even those were monitored closely. It seemed posts that contained valuable information - in one instance, images of the missing newspaper articles - were deleted completely. And even though more blogs were made quickly in an attempt to keep this information public, whoever was behind keeping the mystery a secret was quick to shut those down, too. All he could do was trust in the knowledge of the residents. And if he wanted to get any further, he would need to break into the lab.

Jayson spent the next morning brainstorming ways to get a keycard. He couldn’t be sure who had the keycard he needed: the one with the black dot on it. That was his first step in his new mission. One thing he was certain of: he couldn’t just go around pick-pocketing lab members and military personnel, or he would quickly find himself like Erwin, and he couldn’t afford to raise any suspicions from them. He basically had one shot at this, and he had to get it right. It seemed Erwin was right - he would have to work his charm and casually attempt to befriend them enough to get them to spill.

He spent the afternoon at the bar in his usual corner, drinking quietly and paying close attention to the patrons that wandered in and out. He opted to study them for the next several days, looking for patterns in their routines. After two days of this, he started casual conversation with them as they came to the bar to order rounds. And within a week, a few of them had taken to joining him at the bar to chat. It seemed they had grown tired of interacting with their colleagues day in and day out and they eagerly grasped at the opportunity to chat with someone new.

One particular sim was an older, gruff military man named Kenny. Jayson found him relatively easy to talk to, and it wasn’t long before he started to open up to Jayson.

“You’re a good kid, Jayson,” Kenny said one night after finishing his beer in one large gulp. “But if I were you, I’d be careful who you hang out with.”

“Why’s that?”

Kenny used his empty beer bottle to point at Jayson. “This is a small town,” he went on. “It’s not easy to hide, yanno. Everyone knows everyone, and word gets around quick.”

Jayson drank, waiting for Kenny to continue.

“That Erwin kid has caused a lot of problems around here.”

“Has he?”

“Those conspiracy theorists are all the same,” Kenny said in an annoyed tone. “They all have these wild ass imaginations and they think they can save the world.”

“So, you think the world needs saving?”

Kenny met his gaze briefly, then pulled away.

“Course not,” he said. “But for some reason, they think it does.”

Jayson paused to drink. “They probably wouldn’t think that way if things were normal around here.” He glanced at Kenny, checking his expression. “I mean, you’d have to be pretty oblivious not to see the weird shit going on.”

Kenny shrugged one shoulder. “What Roswell does is of no concern to anyone in this

town.”  
Jayson raised a brow and Kenny quickly cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with how much he had revealed.

“People need to learn to mind their own damn business,” he muttered.

“Sounds to me that maybe you’re working too hard to keep them quiet,” Jayson said pointedly. “You seem awfully afraid of a couple of conspiracy theorists.”

“We have enough on our plate,” Kenny said defensively. “We don’t need to be wasting our time cleaning up after their dumb rumors.”

“Like covering up Roswell’s shit?”

Kenny glared at Jayson. “So, you’re one of them after all?”

Jayson let a sly smile pull at his lips. “No,” he said. “But you haven’t exactly denied any of it, either.”

Kenny held his gaze on Jayson for a long moment, and Jayson shifted uneasily in his seat.

“C’mon, man,” he muttered. “I’m just fucking around with you. Don’t be such a tightass.”

Kenny turned to the bartender and motioned for another drink. With a full bottle in hand, he spoke. “I’ve been in the military for a long time,” he said in a tired tone. “I’ve seen things I wish I never had. I’ve disagreed with how things were done around here, but I always kept quiet, because it wasn’t my job to argue.” He paused to drink. “Between you and me, those conspiracy theorists are far stronger and braver than I could ever be. They’re an odd bunch, sure, but I have respect for them. At least they stand up for what they believe in.” He frowned down at the counter. “That’s more than I could say for myself.” 

“What are you saying?”

Kenny shrugged. “Not everything is as it seems. And it's about time someone does something about it before Roswell kills us all.”


	5. Chapter 5

Though Kenny didn’t necessarily reveal anything Jayson didn’t already suspect, it was confirmation enough that something was going on in that secret lab, and somehow, Mayor Roswell was involved with it all.

“It’s been a while,” Erwin said when Jayson approached him the next morning. “I thought maybe you got scared off.”

“No,” Jayson admitted. “The opposite. I’m afraid I’m in too deep now.”

Erwin smiled. “What can I do for you?”

“I figured a guy like you could help me break into that lab.”

Erwin hesitated. “Maybe I could. Why?”

“There’s a bunch of newspaper articles missing from the library.”

Erwin nodded. “Ah, yes. The… community… has had a hard time keeping tabs on those. There were a few blogs around, but they got deleted, and no one has heard from them in a while.” He paused. “You think there’s information in that lab?”

Jayson shrugged. “It’s worth a look.”

“Did you get a keycard?”

“Not yet.”

Erwin frowned. “We won’t be able to get very far. But I do know of a way in, assuming we can sneak past the guards.”

“I knew I could count on you.”

Erwin held his hands up defensively. “Woah, wait a minute. You’re on your own. I’ll tell you how to get in, but I ain’t going with ya.”

Jayson frowned. “Why not?”

“Uh, hello?” He gestured to himself. “I’ll get my ass thrown in jail if they catch me up there.”

“Then they won’t catch us.”

“You don’t need my help.”

“You don’t know that. What if I need to hack a computer or something?”

Erwin raised a skeptical brow. “What makes you think I can hack into a computer?”

“Can you?”

Erwin hesitated, then groaned. “Ugh. Fine! Fine. I’ll go with you. But you’re the one doing all the fighting, alright?”

“There won’t be fighting.”

“You better hope not,” Erwin muttered. “There’s an area at the back of the lab,” Erwin explained. “There’s a hole that’s boarded up, but it looks like it can easily be broken through. We can cut through the barbed wire fence there and, assuming we can steer clear of the security lights and cameras, get into the lab that way. We’ll just need to time it between guard shifts when no one is patrolling the back area.”

It was a plan. Jayson was in deep, and there would be no turning back once they put their plan into action. But as excited as Erwin was with their plan, he was level headed, and he told Jayson that it would be some time before they could get into the lab. Erwin went on about how he was going to study the schedule of the guards, memorize their routes and their shifts, and it all sounded very Hollywood to Jayson. But Jayson was a first timer at this sort of thing. Erwin had clearly seen enough movies to know what he was doing. Not that that made him qualified for this sort of illicit activity, but hey, it was more than Jayson had going for him.

And besides, Jayson had other plans. Plans that involved asking a certain damsel in distress out on a date.

“Well if it isn’t the conspiracy theorist,” Siobhan’s voice said when she answered his call. “I’m guessing you’re looking for my sister?”

Jayson smiled. “No, that would be weird.”

“Why would that be weird? I’m sure you have lots to talk about.”

“Because I’m calling to ask you out.”

The line was quiet for a moment.

“Or not,” Jayson started slowly.

Siobhan laughed. “What? No. Sorry. I mean. You just… surprised me.”

“Did you really think I was calling for your sister?”

“I dunno,” Siobhan said sheepishly. “I mean, it’s just funny, you know? You meet two random chicks who drag you around StrangerVille on some weird conspiracy theory mission and after three days they leave and one would figure that’s the end of that, especially after I give you my number and then don’t hear from you for a week and -”

“You’re rambling,” Jayson said. 

“I’m just saying!”

“I know, I’m sorry. I got… distracted with some things.”

“Conspiracy theory things?”

“Are you interested?”

“No,” Siobhan said quickly. “So, you were asking me out, right?”

“Yes,” Jayson said. “Uh. Yeah. If you want.”

“Well, I have to bring Morgan to a conspiracy theory addict meeting tonight, but I could cancel.”

“I dunno,” Jayson started playfully. “That sounds important.”

“Yeah, but we might need a bodyguard, so you might as well pick me up tonight at eight.”

“I think I can pencil you into my schedule,” Jayson said. “But I might have to be a bodyguard for someone else later tonight, so we can’t take too long.”

“Wow,” Siobhan started. “I didn’t take you for a player.”

“Just business,” Jayson teased.

“Alright then, Mr. Bodyguard. I’ll see you at eight.”

“I look forward to working with you.”

*****

It was precisely eight when Jayson pulled up in front of the house, and Siobhan was eagerly waiting outside. He didn’t have much experience with dating, but he knew a typical first date involved going out to eat. Siobhan, it seemed, had other ideas of their first date, and gave him a look of disapproval when he named off a few restaurants.

“I had pizza for lunch,” Siobhan said, dismissing yet another suggestion.

“Well, you’re just impossible,” Jayson said in defeat.

“Chinese food?”

“I had that last night.”

Siobhan sighed. “We did it,” she said. “We’re already at the point in the relationship where we can’t agree on what to eat.”

“It’s all downhill from here.”

Siobhan grinned. “How about burgers? I could go for a burger.”

“You’re a cheap date. Can’t argue with that.”

“I’ll have you know I have very fine tastes,” Siobhan said. “I won’t eat just any burger.”

Within fifteen minutes, Jayson had paid the stoned teen at the window for two burgers, two fries, and two large drinks, and parked in an empty lot that boasted a scenic outlook over the city. They sat together on the roof of the car, and Siobhan made a pleased sound as she bit into the burger.

“Fine tastes my ass,” Jayson said.

Siobhan shrugged. “And what did you have for dinner last night?”

“Cup-o-Noodles,” Jayson said sheepishly, and Siobhan laughed.

“This is fine dining for you, isn’t it?”

“It’s certainly cheaper than my original plan of trying to wine and dine you.”

Siobhan scoffed. “Please,” she said. “I’m beyond that point in my life. I don’t get impressed by fancy dinners.” She stretched her legs out. “This is much more my speed.”

“So, next time, how about noodles at the park?”

Siobhan laughed. “Planning date number two already? What if this doesn’t go well?”

Jayson shrugged. “You’re still here.”

Siobhan nodded thoughtfully. “So, how’s the conspiracy chasing going?” She grinned. “That’s really why I’m sticking around. Gotta get the scoop on the latest rumors.”

“Morgan hasn’t been keeping you in the loop?”

“She’s moved on to something else.”

“That’s disappointing,” Jayson said. “Because, you know, she was probably onto something.”

Siobhan glanced at him. “Oh, no,” she started. “You, too?”

“Of course not,” Jayson said. “I’m just the bodyguard, remember?”

“Did that Erwin kid hire you?”

“I think he has a crush on me.”

Siobhan laughed. “He has good taste in men.” She finished her burger. “So, fill me in. What’s that group of weirdos up to?”

Jayson hesitated, then shrugged. “Got some plans to break into that lab.”

“Think they’ll find anything good?”

“Maybe,” Jayson started. “Why else would they be keeping it all locked up and guarded?”

“And what are you gonna do? Kick some military butt?”

“Unlikely.”

“Well, you’re a useless bodyguard, then.”

“I told him that when he hired me.”

Siobhan laughed. “Well, don’t get beat up too much,” she said. “You owe me a second date. Noodles at the park, right?”

They chatted as the night went on, covering all the basic topics that would be talked about on a first date. They discussed their favorite movies and shows, their childhood dreams and aspirations, and even debated the existence of aliens and vampires. Of course, there wasn’t much to debate when neither of them believed in the existence of either, though Jayson couldn’t help but to speculate on the possibility of aliens and how it connected to the weird things happening in StrangerVille. Though, he merely speculated, unwilling for Siobhan to know just how interested he was in it all.

Their evening together quickly came to a close, and Jayson found himself walking Siobhan to her front door to bid her a good night.

“I’d offer to let you come in,” Siobhan started, “but due to financial reasons -” She didn’t have a chance to finish, however, as the door was flung open, revealing Morgan.

“Back so soon?” she said with a grin.

Siobhan reached behind her and pulled the door closed with a slam. “I still live at home.” she offered him a sheepish and apologetic smile.

“If I had known that, I would have offered to take you to my place.”

“Right to the chase, huh?” she said with a grin. “That’s more like third date talk.”

Jayson considered this thoughtfully for a moment. “So, does that mean, like, the night of the third date, or does it have to be three full dates, and then the night after the fourth?”

Siobhan laughed. She stood on her tiptoes, her lips meeting his for a warm, soft moment before pulling away. “You think too much.” She turned and opened the door, slipping inside and wishing him goodnight before the door closed.


	6. Chapter 6

Twenty-four hours ago, it was just another ordinary night, and Jayson was on an ordinary date, and to any outsider, he lived an ordinary life, just as he always had, and up until now, he thought he would live and die an ordinary man and nothing more.

Tonight, however, he was crouching behind some thorny bushes with a guy he never in a million years thought he’d be friends with - a guy who couldn’t look more conspicuous in a black ski mask - and planning their way to break into a heavily guarded secret lab.

“What have I gotten myself into?” Jayson muttered under his breath, refusing to look at Erwin as he fidgeted with his black gloves.

“Hey,” Erwin snapped. “You wanted my help, right? I told you to wear gloves! We can’t be leaving our fingerprints everywhere. If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it right and not get our asses thrown in jail!”

“Ladies do love a bad boy.”

Erwin rolled his eyes. “Is that what Siobhan said on your hot date?” He made a crude gesture with his hips and Jayson slapped the back of his head. Erwin rubbed the back of his head, then pointed through the bushes to a hole in the fence.

“That’s our in. I had a friend cut the fence between shifts. But they’ll be coming up this way soon, so we need to hurry. Once they realize it’s been cut, security will swarm this place and we’ll be done for.”

They hurried through the hole in the fence, then kept to the wall of the building, avoiding the sweeping lights that scanned the premises for potential intruders. They kept in the shadows, away from the cameras as they hurried around and into the busted door in the back of the building.

Except for a few emergency lights, the lab was dim. The air was warm and stuffy, dust already settling on the untouched counters and furniture. Jayson guessed they were in a kitchen of sorts. Chairs and tables were tipped over and scattered throughout the room, and they picked their way carefully across and through the door on the other side.

They made their way down the hall. Most of the doors to other rooms were blown in, and as they passed, they found bathrooms and closets. At the end, the hall opened up into a much larger room where several chambers stood in neat rows, their glasses blown in and shattered. More tables, desks, and chairs were tipped over or broken completely, and books and pages were scattered all across the room.

“This place is creepy,” Erwin said. “Way creepier than I thought.”

Jayson looked around them, then made his way to a desk. Pages were scattered across the wood top and her perused through them. Among the pages were various journal entries, data and formulas, even photographs. He picked up the overturned chair to look at the pages more closely.

He found a list of all the names of people with keycards and specific levels of clearance. He pocketed the page along with some images that seemed noteworthy. Some contained specific lab members working on various experiments. A couple pictures seemed to be of a strange plant in chambers somewhere deep in the lab. Jayson recognized the same plant in a picture that seemed to be taken outside of the lab.

He studied the image for a moment more; something about it seemed familiar. Erwin peered over his shoulder, then jammed a finger into the picture.

“I’ve seen a couple of those plants,” he said. “There’s a bunch near the trailer park.”

Jayson folded the picture and pocketed with the other bits of evidence he gathered. Erwin was right; he had seen the plants near the trailer park, too. Could that explain the way the people there were acting?

With nothing more at the desk to look at, Jayson and Erwin continued to wander the first floor of the lab. They came across a large, steel door that was securely locked. A panel to the right indicated that it could only be opened by a keycard.

“We’re gonna need that keycard,” Erwin said. “Do you know anyone with the right access?”

“I know a couple of the military guys,” Jayson said. “Casual drinking buddies.”

“Do you think they’d give you a card?”

“Unlikely,” Jayson said. “But, I can at least talk to them. See what kind of info I can get from them.” He shrugged. “It’s a start.”

Erwin nodded. “Maybe if we find something real good, you can use it as blackmail.”

Jayson hesitated. “Sure. I’ll ruin someone’s life after I’ve exhausted all my other options.”

“What do you care if you’re ruining their life when innocent people are being fucked over?”

“We don’t know for sure what’s going on yet,” Jayson pointed out. “No sense jumping to conclusions until we have all the facts.”

Erwin sighed. “Fine. Not like there’s anything I can do about it, anyway.” He turned and walked away from the sealed door. “See? You’re already proving to be more useful than I am.”

They continued to make their way through the lab, checking every room they could get into. Most of the rooms had various equipment that lay broken or abandoned. Jayson snapped a few pictures with his phone, hoping at the very least one of the scientists could identify them and explain what they were used for.

It started to seem like they wouldn’t find much else in the lab - not without going deeper, and they couldn’t do that without the keycard - but Erwin’s wary voice pulled Jayson to him, and he peered over Erwin’s shoulder at some photographs in his hands.

Ted Roswell, StrangerVille Mayor, standing outside of the newly constructed lab some years ago. He was a younger man in the photo, and he was grinning, shaking the hand of someone who could have only been the lead scientist at the lab and the head of the military group tasked with guarding the lab from curious onlookers.

Erwin flipped through the images he had picked up. There were a few more images of Ted in the lab, in places that seemed to be beyond the sealed door. Jayson studied the images carefully, looking for any clues in the background of the photos, but found nothing more than the smiling mayor.

Behind these images, they found various newspaper clippings. Jayson examined them, reading them out loud.

“The military arrives in StrangerVille! Residents rejoice as a new base opens near the crater. The City Council welcomes the opportunity of new jobs for the struggling town.”

“New Era for Strangerville! A high-tech super-science facility is being constructed in the crater. While residents are eager to modernize the town, the amount of secrecy surrounding the project has some people on edge.”

“A local resident claims that after he found his lost cat outside the crater, it became unreasonably afraid of his houseplants and wouldn’t stop hidding until they were all removed from his property.”

“After the incident, there have been reports of bizarre plants growing around town. No one has been able to figure out why they are spreading so quickly. Efforts to eradicate them have been fruitless; for each sprout removed, three grow back it its place.”

Behind the clippings were more photographs, and Erwin flipped to these, revealing a lab in ruins. It looked just about as it did now, with a few noteworthy exceptions. For one, and the most obvious, was the sealed door. In the images, it was clearly destroyed. Someone had come in - perhaps shortly after the lab was condemned - and fixed the door, making it functional again.

“Just to keep out annoying conspiracy theorists,” Jayson said.

“Or keep something else locked in,” Erwin said.

Jayson bit his lip. Erwin flipped to the final picture. It was dark and blurry, but they could easily make out the same plants they saw in other images. Only this one appeared to be much bigger. Huge. And… alive?

Jayson took the photo out of Erwin’s hand and peered at it, then glanced at the sealed door. Perhaps they were keeping something locked in after all.

Erwin looked up at Jayson nervously. “What the fuck is that?”

“I don’t know,” Jayson said. “But we need to get that keycard and find out.”

“Are you crazy?” Erwin hissed. “Whatever that thing is, its down there, and it’ll fucking make a midnight snack out of us!”

“Roswell’s involved in this,” Jayson said. “He must have created this… thing. This experiment. And it went terribly wrong. And either he won’t destroy it… or he can’t. So instead they’re covering it up. But how long do you think they can keep this up? How long until this thing destroys the entire town?”

“Even more reason to keep that damn door closed,” Erwin muttered.

“We need to confirm that there is something down there that they’re trying to hide,” Jayson said. “Once we have proof of that, we can expose Roswell and put a stop to all of this.”

“Assuming it doesn’t eat us.”

“Are you really backing out now?”

“This is suicide,” Erwin hissed. “We’d literally be walking into our own graves.”

“That’s why you got a bodyguard, right?”

Erwin rolled his eyes, but a shout from outside the lab brought them out of their argument. They moved quickly through the lab, checking the perimeter before stepping through the broken door and darting between the security lights and crawling through the hole in the fence once more. They crept low in the bushes until they were down the hill and out of sight, then darted through the dark streets until they reached the center of town.

At the bar, a few of the military personnel must have been alerted to a disturbance at the lab, and they hurried out quickly. Erwin instinctively stepped behind Jayson in an attempt to keep out of sight, and Jayson watched as Kenny brought up the rear in a disinterested manner. He caught Jayson’s gaze for a moment, his eyes narrowing on him, before he turned his back on them and slid into one of the vehicles as it took off down the street toward the lab.

With the soldiers gone, Erwin stepped out from behind Jayson, and Jayson looked down on him with a disapproving shake of his head.

“Hey,” Erwin barked. “That’s why I hired you as my bodyguard!”


	7. Chapter 7

“Where’d you guys go running off to last night?”

Kenny was at the bar when Jayson got there that evening, but he only nodded in greeting as he made his way to the bar at the back of the room, leaving Kenny to drink and chat with the other military personnel that had gathered at their usual booth. Jayson was just starting his third beer when Kenny finally sat on the barstool next to him.

“Nevermind where we went,” Kenny said frankly. He glanced at Jayson at the corner of his eyes. “What were you and your boyfriend up to last night?”

Jayson snorted. “I didn’t pick you for the jealous type.”

“Don’t get involved,” Kenny said in a gruff tone.

“What? Stand back and watch Roswell fuck us all over? Like you?” Jayson had hoped to piss Kenny off, but Kenny did not react the way Jayson had expected.

“What Roswell’s doing… it’s huge. Bigger than all of us.” He shook his head. “We don’t even have all the answers. But I’ll tell ya what; you’re in way over your head.”

Jayson hesitated and stared at his beer. “So, what? You gonna turn us in?”

Kenny shook his head. He fished through his pocket for a moment, then placed a keycard on the counter and slid it towards Jayson.

“What’s this for?” Jayson asked carefully.

“See for yourself,” Kenny said. “See what we’re up against. Then we can talk.” Without another word, Kenny returned to his booth, leaving Jayson alone at the bar.

Jayson quietly pocketed the keycard, not daring to look back over his shoulder. He finished his drink calmly, paid his tab, then left the bar without a glance to Kenny. He shoved his hands in his pocket and walked the quiet streets towards his house. Once he stepped inside, he fished out his phone and they keycard, then promptly dialed Erwin’s number.

“Hello, Conspiracy Theorists Anonymous; you need protection, we’ve got tin foil hats. You’ve reached Erwin, how can I help you bring down the government today?”

“I believe you were looking for a keycard?”

“No fucking way! How’d you manage that?”

“My good looks.”

“I told ya,” Erwin said. “You seduce a lady scientist or something?”

“I’d rather not talk about it. She… made me do awful things.”

Erwin laughed loudly. “So, what’s your plan?”

“Don’t have one,” Jayson said frankly. “Figured we’d just go in and wing it. See what we can see.”

“That sounds like a bad idea,” Erwin said. “I’m in.”

*****

“I’m out,” Erwin muttered. It was late, nearing midnight, and Erwin found himself back inside the lab with Jayson. They stood in front of the sealed door, keycard in Jayson’s hand.

“Don’t be such a girl,” Jayson teased. “Don’t you want to see what’s down here?”

Erwin shook his head. “I did. But now this seems like a really, really bad idea. We don’t know what’s down there!”

Jayson waved the key card over the panel. 

The door slid open. They hesitated for a moment as if waiting for something to jump out at them, but when nothing happened, Jayson stepped inside. Erwin followed close behind, cowering slightly and muttering to himself.

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

But Jayson ignored him, his brows furrowed fiercely together.

They moved through the dark hallway with only the flashlights on their phones to guide them until they arrived at another door. A swipe of the keycard allowed this door to open as well, and they were immediately greeted by a putrid smell. Thick, green spores spilled out from behind the door, causing the air to turn green around them. Erwin pulled his shirt over his nose in an attempt to keep him safe from the smells when a thought occurred to him. The spores; they probably shouldn’t be breathing in the spores!

He opened his mouth to warn Jayson, but it was too late. Jayson swayed, then dropped to the ground. Erwin hurried to him, dropping to his knees and calling to him. He slapped his face, and after a moment, Jayson stirred. His eyes opened and he stared at Erwin blankly.

“Oh, shit,” Erwin breathed. “Don’t fucking scare me like that.”

But Jayson did not respond. He blinked up at Erwin, then sat up stiffly.

“J-jayson? Buddy?” Erwin backed away warily. “Earth to Jayson.”

Jayson spoke, but it was not in a language Erwin recognized. And it was at that moment that Erwin realized what had happened.

“Shit,” he spat. “Shit, shit, shit. It’s these spores!” He pulled his shirt tighter over his mouth and nose, but already, he started to sway as his mind spun and his vision blurred.“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Erwin muttered. “Snap out of it!” He slapped Jayson and Jayson fell backwards. After a moment, he groaned, coming to. But still, he was breathing in the spores.

Erwin worked quickly to pull Jayson’s shirt over his nose and mouth, but Jayson batted his hands away.

“Dude,” he said in a daze. “What the fuck? I thought you had a girlfriend?!”

“Shut up,” Erwin spat. “It’s the spores, man! Don’t breathe in the spores!”

But Jayson was swaying once more. Erwin fought to keep his nose covered, then pulled desperately on his arms, pulling Jayson to his feet.

“Come on, man, gimme a hand, here,” Erwin muttered. He pulled Jayson’s arm around his shoulders in a desperate attempt to lift him. Jayson trudged clumsily along as Erwin brought them through the hall and out the first steel door where he promptly dropped Jayson, panting heavily. He quickly worked the panel of the door, closing it tightly behind them.

Jayson moaned as he started to come to, now breathing in cleaner air. He sat up and pressed his palm to his throbbing head. His gaze moved around the room until he found Erwin, bent over with his hands on his knees as he fought to catch his breath.

“Dude,” Jayson muttered. “You just saved my life.”

Erwin glanced at him, hesitant, then straightened proudly. “Yeah. Yeah I totally fucking did. You’re welcome, asshat. Aren’t you glad I came with you?”

“Guess I’ll need you next time.”

Erwin straightened, his hands up defensively. “Uh-uh,” he said. “No way. We’re not coming back here. Not after that shit show. We’ll never get any further with those damn spores infecting us like that.”

“Then we find a way to get through without getting infected,” Jayson said with a shrug.

“Are you insane? Did you get too many of those spores in your brain?”

“We can’t stop now,” Jayson said. “Don’t you see? Those spores… they just turned me into the same thing we’ve been seeing in the city. There’s some connection here, and if we want to prevent this from happening, we have to find the source of the spores and stop it.”

Erwin held his chin thoughtfully, nodding as Jayson spoke. “Sure, sure,” he said when Jayson finished. “But this all sounds a lot like someone else’s problem.”

“You said so yourself,” Jayson pointed out. “No one else will listen. No one will do anything. It’s up to us.” His gaze narrowed on Erwin. “You got me into this damn mess. Don’t back out on me now.”

Erwin dropped his arms and sighed, defeated. “My mother always said my crazy imagination would get me into trouble some day.”

“Or make you a hero.”

Erwin seemed to consider this for a moment. “Fine,” he said. “But from here on out, we have a plan. No more running in head first and hoping we come out alive.”

Jayson got to his feet, feeling steady now that they were back out into cleaner air. He nodded. “Agreed.”

“So, what?” Erwin asked. “We can’t get past those spores. Any bright ideas?”

Jayson pinched his lips together. “Not exactly,” he admitted. “But I’m sure some of those scientists might have some experience with the spores.”

“And you think they’ll help us?”

“Dunno,” Jayson said. “There might be someone. If Kenny was willing to help, maybe he knows someone else who can.”

“Alright, then,” Erwin said. He turned away from Jayson and made his way back outside. Jayson hurried to catch up as Erwin spoke over his shoulder. “This is your plan, then. You know I can’t be caught hanging out around any of them. They’ll throw my ass in jail before I can say Bigfoot.”

“Sure, sure,” Jayson said, rolling his eyes. “But you know, you can’t -” He stopped as he stepped over the threshold, Erwin’s hand on his arm. He glanced at Erwin, who was staring up at the sky, then followed his gaze.

Though it was dark, there was a strange, purple, hazy, distinguishable glow that seemed to hang over the city, now. Erwin swallowed uneasily. 

“Do you think we caused that?” he asked nervously.

Jayson didn’t answer him, but they both suspected as much. It seemed that when they opened the sealed door, more of the spores had been released into the air. By morning, the sky would remain a reddish-purple hue, and more people than ever would be infected by the newly released spores. The black vans that patrolled the town would double, each one snatching up an infected sim as one by one they fell to the strange infection that hung in the air. And neither of them knew how long it would be before they were infected next. 


	8. Chapter 8

Erwin had effectively boarded himself up at home, leaving Jayson to the task of figuring out a way past the spores in the lab. By the next evening, he was back in the bar, but to his surprise, Kenny was already there, and except for a handful of other patrons, the bar was empty of the usual military presence. Jayson sat beside Kenny and ordered his usual.

“And how was your evening?” Kenny asked, not looking up at Jayson.

“Oh, it was pretty quiet,” Jayson said casually. He nodded his thanks to the bartender as he took his drink. “Stayed in, ordered some Chinese, got infected, you know, the usual.”

Kenny frowned down at his drink but said nothing.

Jayson’s gaze narrowed on Kenny. “Did you know we would get ass fucked by a bunch of spores?”

“The spores were all contained,” Kenny said quietly. “Something must have happened.”

“The world will never know,” Jayson said. “Can’t get any deeper into the lab without getting infected.”

“You could,” Kenny started. “Just need to get yourself a hazmat suit.”

“And where the fuck am I supposed to find a hazmat suit?”

Kenny shook his head. “Most of the scientists that have worked in the lab have suits. But a standard suit won’t do you any good. Gotta get yourself one that’s been reinforced to handle the heavy spores.”

“Of course,” Jayson said, rolling his eyes.

“ Carla Koenig can make you a suit,” Kenny continued. “But you’ll need to collect some of those spores for her.”

“And how am I supposed to do that?”

“You’ll need a scanner,” Kenny said. “I’ve got one at home. I’ll leave it under your porch later tonight.  Collect the spores. Then give it to  Carla Koenig . Tell her I sent you. She can make you a hazmat suit. She’ll keep it quiet.”

Jayson nodded. “Thanks, man. I really appreciate this.”

“Look,” he said. “Just keep your damn mouth shut, alright? You didn’t get it from me.”

Kenny stood abruptly, paid his tab, then left Jayson alone at the bar. Jayson finished his drink, then he retreated home for the evening.

He was falling asleep in front of the tv when he heard a slight thump from outside. When he peered under the deck, he found the scanner that Kenny left, just as he said he would. Inside, Jayson examined the machine carefully, but he couldn’t be quite sure how to work it. He would likely need Carla’s help with it before he could begin collecting the spores she would need to make him a hazmat suit.

It was early the next morning when Jayson awoke to the sound of his ringing phone. He didn’t recognize the number on the screen, but with a groan he answered it.

“It’s Carla,” a woman’s voice said as soon as he answered the phone. “Meet me in the back of the library at noon.”

Jayson didn’t have a chance to say anything further as the call ended as quickly as it began. He blinked at his phone for a moment, then let it drop onto the bed beside him. He dropped back onto his pillow with a heavy sigh.

After catching another hour of sleep, Jayson finally dragged himself out of bed and through his usual morning routine. He dressed, ate a bowl of cereal, and purely out of habit, he scanned the newspaper for jobs, though he wasn’t really focused on the job hunt any more.

He glanced at the bills that had started to pile up on the kitchen counter. He had been so busy with conspiracy theories the last couple weeks that he had almost completely forgotten that he was a grown ass adult with a mortgage and bills and still no job. If only being a hero would pay his bills…

He managed to scribble out a few checks, shoving them in the mailbox to pay the bills before his power was shut off, then made his way to the library as the mysterious  Carla Koenig had instructed. 

Being noon on a weekday, the library was relatively quiet with only a few sims to flip through its books, but Jayson had no trouble finding Carla. She was in the back room of the library, just as she told Jayson she would be, though she looked far from how he thought a scientist should look.

She was bent over a table, her long, red hair falling in front of her, but she paid it no mind as she flipped through some notebooks laid out in front of her. She looked up briefly when Jayson entered, eyed the scanner in his arms, then returned to her notebook, gesturing simply to the table without so much as a greeting.

Jayson carefully set the scanner on the table in front of him. “Kenny -”

“Yeah, yeah,” Carla started, waving him off with her hand. “He called me.”

“So, you and Kenny are -”

“Friends, sure,” Carla said. 

“I was going to say fellow conspiracy theorists,” Jayson muttered.

Carla looked up and snarled at him. “Am not.”

Jayson smirked. “Yeah, I used to say that, too.”

Carla straightened and folded her arms over her chest. “Look,” she said fiercely. “Do you want my help or not?”

“Yes, please,” Jayson said with a nod.

“I’m only doing this for Kenny,” Carla said. “And, well, because it’s time someone puts an end to all of this. And it seems you’ve been volunteered for the task.”

“Seems so,” Jayson said with a hint of dismay. “Don’t ask me how I got that fortunate responsibility.”

A smile pulled at the corner of her lips and Carla turned her attention to the machine. “We all want a little justice I suppose. And you’re the vigilante we need.”

“Yeah, well, let’s see if I can avoid infection, first.”

Carla nodded in agreement. “Kenny told you you’d need to get some of those spores, right?”

“Yeah,” Jayson started. “You know, even though they nearly killed me the first time I came in contact with them.”

“You won’t need to go back into the lab,” Carla said. “There’s enough pores out here for you to collect without getting fucked up like everyone else.”

“Sounds easy. I like easy.”

“That is the easy part,” Carla pointed out. She showed Jayson how to use the scanner. “Just collect them like this, see? You’ll need to be careful with these vials. Don’t break them and keep them sealed tight. I’ll need about five of these to get a hazmat suit together for ya.”

Jayson nodded along as she spoke.

“It will take me a few days before I have a finished suit, though,” Carla continued. “Do you just need the one?”

Jayson hesitated. “My sidekick will need one,” he said.

Carla nodded. “I can only do one at a time,” she explained. “Get me the five vials for yours first. Once I finish one, I’ll be able to get to work on the second one. It’ll take me a couple weeks to have them both finished up.”

Jayson nodded. He didn’t know how much time he would have before the entire town was infected, but he had no other choice. If he wanted to get further into the lab and stop the infection, he would need the suit.

“What the hell are these spores, anyway?” he asked curiously. “What do you know about them?”

Carla hesitated. She met Jayson’s gaze. “The spores are toxic. They’re what’s infecting everyone. They come from those weird plants popping up all over town. As long as you stay clear of them, you should be fine.” She paused and looked down at her notebook. “They keep popping up, though. And the more plants that pop up, the more toxic our air becomes. I noticed even the sky has been changing. It’s definitely because of all the spores in the air.”

“They come from the plants?” Jayson pressed. “Where did those plants come from? Why are they popping up all over the place?”

Carla met his gaze. “Because of what’s in the lab,” she said quietly. “It’s the Mother.”

Jayson shifted on his feet uneasily. When she continued to stare at him, he pulled his gaze away and cleared his throat. “The Mother?”

Carla jumped, as if startled that he had spoke, and returned to her seat to shift through her notebooks. “Roswell’s been trying to cover it up,” she said. “He doesn’t want anyone to know about the Mother.”

“What’s the Mother?”

“The Mother plant,” Carla said. “The Mother plant will kill us all.”


End file.
